Intra-Uterine Insemination (IUI)

starts from £790

Ideal for single women and same-sex couples (under 37)

Safe and non-invasive

The most affordable form of assisted reproduction treatment

Intra-Uterine Insemination - a less invasive option

For patients wishing to have the least invasive form of treatment possible intra-uterine insemination, or IUI, is a good option. It can be carried out within your normal cycle without the need for medication or any invasive procedure.

What is intra-uterine insemination (IUI)?

IUI involves directly inserting specially washed sperm into a woman’s womb at the most fertile point in the cycle. Doctors use hormone blood tests and monitoring scans to keep track of the cycle and pinpoint the time at which ovulation occurs, then they introduce the sperm into the uterus in a simple non-invasive theatre procedure.

The treatment can occur during the natural cycle or, if required, a woman’s ovulation can be stimulated with an injection of human Chorionic Gonadatrophin (hCG) to induce the release of eggs.

What are the advantages of IUI?

✔ Good for single women and same-sex couples

Single women and same-sex couples often do not have fertility issues when they come to the clinic. For those with a good egg reserve, IUI is a cheaper and less invasive option. We perform many cycles with donor sperm and have our own sperm bank at the clinic. We are also happy to work with known donors.

✔ Safe

The lack of fertility drugs and medical procedures means that IUI is the safest form of fertility treatment and avoids the potential side effects that come with some forms of IVF.

✔ Low cost

IUI is the most affordable form of assisted reproduction treatment.

✔ Non-invasive

There is no egg collection involved in IUI, meaning that there is no invasive procedure and sedation is not required. The IUI procedure is usually easy and pain-free.

Who is suitable for this treatment?

IUI is a good option for those that have good fertility, a good ovarian reserve and have clear fallopian tubes. Hence, it is often most used by same-sex couples and single women, who need only donor sperm to conceive.

It is important to note that IUI does not have high success rates compared to IVF, so it may not be the best option for many patients. Your individual situation will need to be assessed so that we can ascertain whether IUI is a good option for you.

What is the process of IUI?

The first step in IUI treatment is to come into the clinic for an assessment scan and consultation. At this point the doctor will perform an internal scan. You (and your partner if applicable) will then have a 30 minute consultation where the doctor will go through your medical history and devise a personalised treatment plan.

You will then come in for a number of scans following the start of your period. These will be used to monitor the growth of the follicles and track ovulation.

Once the time is right to perform the IUI, the sperm sample will be washed and prepared before the procedure.

The IUI procedure involves introducing the sperm to the uterus through a thin catheter at the correct time of the cycle when the egg is being released.

MD, MRCOG, DFFP
Dr Chouliaras is a Consultant in Gynaecology, Reproductive Medicine and surgery. He is also our Lead of Hysteroscopy at our St Paul's fertility clinic. He qualified i....

"IUI opens up a new chapter for lesbian couple by helping them start their family."

Five years ago we didn’t think that having our own babies was even a possibility, we thought we’d have to adopt. Luckily for us, fertility treatment is a lot more accessible these days.

During our initial consultation and scan with CREATE, it became clear that IUI (artificial insemination) was the most suitable option for us, mainly because we were a good age for it and had no fertility issues.